The House in the Woods
by notthepasta
Summary: Little Alfred discovers an old house hidden deep within the woods, and after a few weeks of "owning" this house, he finds a strange boy who quickly becomes a dear friend. A free-verse poem; USUK


_The House in the Woods  
_

* * *

One day while wandering the uncharted woods

A boy stumbled upon an old, archaic house and he wondered if he could

Go inside, explore, and see all there is to see

In the house that looked abandoned and ignored, so eventually he

Took a moment to observe and saw that no one was there

Only over grown plants, broken windows, a curtain with a tear.

When he daringly took a step inside, the floors squeaked

The wind howled through the walls, the doors creaked

Books left abandoned were aligned on the shelf

And the boy took the curtsey of looking through them himself

Oh! They're maps! And charts and tables of the heavens and the stars;

An astronomer must have lived here, the boy thought, but he must of left because

Who would leave a house so mysterious all alone inside the woods?

Ever since that day the boy came and the boy left

The house. He explored, he learned, he questioned everything that went

Through his mind, and yet as the days started to tone

Down in excitement and wonder he questioned: would he always be alone?

In this house full of fantastic nook and crannies?

Full of mystery, full of horror- surely it was uncanny

To think that out of all the things he found lost in the woods

Would be a beautiful house that stood lonesome as it should.

Then, as if the one who watches over us heard the little boy's cry

The day after next the boy had to struggle and try

To find an explanation and answer to the question why

A boy no older than ten was sitting on the floor,

All of the first boy's notes open, as well as books and drawings galore.

"Who are you?" The first boy asked.

"Well who are you?" The second replied.

"I am Alfred and how'd you get in? I thought I fixed the locks at last."

"My name is Arthur, and forgive me; I don't mean to pry

"But you see, there's things in the woods that have never been explained

"Things like fairies, nymphs, harpies; things that are yet to be named!"

Alfred stared at the boy for a long while, not buying a single word

Of the story he was telling. Oh, come on! It was completely absurd!

This was his house! Alfred thought as he opened his mouth to speak

But the green-eyes boy continued on, making Alfred start to think

"I know you're an astronomer. I've seen your maps and charts,

"So can you share this house please? I swear I'll show you the arts

"Of all my studies and my works, my greatest fantasies and fears

"And you can tell me about the stars," Arthur was almost in tears.

"Please, let me stay. I promise you that I won't be a burden."

And after a great deal of thought, the feeling of distrust began to soften.

Arthur was scared, he told Al later on that day

That Alfred would kick him out of the house and force him to stay

In another place, another hiding spot to escape his family of hell

And from that day on the boys agreed to share the house, and well

They swore to share the house that Alfred had come to adore

Though it never occurred to Alfred that it was possible to love it more.

They shared the books, they shared the air, they shared the roof, they shared the stairs

They shared their company and their secrets and their dreams and to keep it

Safe and sound, the boys decided to make a pact:

Keep this house at its highest state! Make sure it's always intact!

So with wagons full of tools and boards and paint and all they could find

They did their best to keep the house looking divine.

Of course, that task was difficult for two little boys to fill

But after weeks of working and unbreakable will

They created the perfect place to study and to cherish whatever they had

Though Father Time was never on their side, and... well... let's just say that here's where the story gets a bit sad

See, the days turn to weeks that turned to months that turned to years

And it became difficult for the boys to maintain the house out of sheer

Want, because school was holding them and stealing all of their time

And, along with issues of maturing and learning, the boys failed realize

how blind they have become

Because it wasn't familiar to them that some

Things in this world could not be seen

Nor reported on nor read about: that life was sometime mean.

Arthur's relationship with his family grew further and further from okay

And Alfred was struggling to explain why he had to disappear everyday

Into the wood. "A dear friend of mine lives there."

Alfred tried his best to tell, "and I can't take him here

"Because his family is cruel, you have to understand

"That I'm all that he has." Yet Alfred failed to make his reasons stand

On their own.

So they devised a way to stay together with the house, a schedule that they always kept in hand.

"Weekends from noon until night," Alfred stated, "We'll work on the house in those hours and

"Maybe share the time we have together; that way you'll never forget

"That I'm here for you." Arthur smiled then said, "Alfred please, haven't you realized yet?

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do

Than to spend those days and hours with you."

That sentence... helped Alfred discover something new.

A certain warm in his chest and a flutter

In stomach; wow, what a feeling! And all Arthur did was mutter

A few words of kindness and bliss

Words that Alfred would surely miss.

Time played its part, like it always had, especially on these two boys

For Alfred had grown tall and strong; Arthur had grown wise

And more mature than Alfred, but the changes never

Changed the boys' relationship, only made Arthur clever

And Alfred able to successfully maintain their home,

Though they never truly realized how close they had become.

And just as they promised, ever weekend at noon, the boys would meet

And share each other's company, each story, each waking moment of every week.

And it was as though the time apart had actually brought them together, unlike they had feared

Because the boys failed to leave each other side until the moon appeared.

One night the two decided to relax on the roof, forget their troubles and cap

The fears of real life.

Alfred sat with his legs crossed, Arthur was laying his head in Al's lap

And all they did was simply gaze at the stars.

"Remember those silly old books?" Alfred asked while holding cards

And letter and notes he had received from the girls who had claimed that they loved

Alfred and his hair and his body, when really he knew that they only wanted to shove

Him against a wall and take everything that he would offer;

Why waste his time with them when he could be spending it with Arthur?

"Sure," Arthur said while fiddling with locket they found stored inside a hidden room

Of the house they had claimed as their own, like it had been from the start

The house of wonders and fantasies; the house if Al, the house of Art.

"And they weren't silly; they were well written by a man who enjoyed the sky

"Almost as much as you, Alfred." He teased before pausing. "And I

"Am wondering if I'm allowed to tell you another story. Would you care if I do?"

"Of course not," Alfred said with a smile on his lips. "I enjoy all your tales."

Arthur smiled back and started, "it all started with a coup..."

Everyday passed on exactly like this, for months and months on end

Where Al and Art would to nothing but engulf themselves in

The company of the other, whether than meant to sleep or eat or complain

Or rebuild the leak roof or telling stories or spouting names to place blame

On the troubles they suffered and they shared

For as long as it was kept secret- who cared?

But remember that these boys still have to learn to make

The right decisions, which means there can easily be a mistake.

The day soon came all too soon, the day that Alfred fell

Head over heels for a girl; he couldn't wait to tell

Arthur of his love, but later decided it wouldn't be right

To keep his love hidden from the house, so one night

He brought the girl to the house before the sun had set,

And the result wasn't at all Alfred wanted to expect.

The brightest smile appeared on Arthur's face

When Alfred walked through the door

"You were so late, I thought you weren't co-"

Arthur's smile wasn't there anymore.

It was a face of pain and confusion and disbelief- something Alfred had never witnessed

Stirring and storming in Arthur's eyes- wait no, it wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Arthur," Alfred began, stepping out of the way for his girl. "This is my love, I wanted you two to meet

"That way the three of us can be together." But even Alfred knew that was a lie

Because he really only did it so that he wouldn't have to be torn like a sheet

Of wet paper between Arthur and his girl, so he was quite sure

That if both of them met, the forcing of a decision wouldn't occur.

But he was wrong. So very very wrong.

"How... Why... Did you- could you-!" Arthur began to stutter

As he stood up from the floor to stand in front of the other

With tears building up in his eyes.

"It's like you didn't even _try_

"To think about how I would feel

"When some- some girl just coming into _our _house."

Arthur was yelling at this point, fire in his eyes- oh, this couldn't be real.

"I... I thought-" Alfred started, slowly backing away

From the boy he thought would be okay

With his relationship- excepting and not caring

About it that much! "No you did not!" Arthur yelled, daring

To raise his voice even higher, tears now streaming down his face.

"You didn't care at all! Love her? Please! She's a waste

Of your time." Arthur shot a glare at her than looked at the taller boy.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me! Did you expect to just toy

"With my feelings and my thoughts? Dammit, Alfred- I trusted you!"

And that was when Alfred finally snapped and took a strong step forward at the boy who

Was apparently so hurt about how much Alfred cared for both. "So I'm the one to blame,"

Alfred started voice strong yet hurt, "for your wrong assumptions? Come on, Art! I only came

"Here to show my girl this house, not be yelled at by the kid

"Who decided one day to take this house away- because that's what you did!"

Alfred kept on telling lies, but he wasn't sure what else he could say

Because he didn't want to be wrong, and really he wanted Arthur to stay

By his side, along with his girl, but that part of the story didn't exist for Arthur.

So they fought. They yelled. They screamed

They blamed and hurt each other, for hours, it seemed

Until finally Alfred couldn't take it anymore, so with a scratch on his face

From a book Arthur had thrown, he grabbed his girls hand and said, "Goodbye; I'm leaving this place."

Without another word, Alfred stormed out of that stupid old house

He found buried in the woods.

And days turns to weeks, but not weeks into months.

Not in a span of four weeks, his girlfriend was so blunt

In saying, "I don't love you anymore." and left without a word.

Marking the second Alfred was truly alone. Wait…what had he heard?

Anymore? Seriously? Did you even love me from the start?

And that's went it finally hit him. He... h-he had to go see Art.

He ran through the woods as fast as he could, not caring that it wasn't the weekend at noon

Because Arthur could still be there- something terrible might happen soon!

"Arthur!" He cried upon opening the entering, uttering huffing

And gasping for air because he ran too fast- oh. No... No! There was nothing.

Nothing on the shelves, that is, and no sign of Arthur. Only notes scatter on the floor

Along with all the journals they had written and drawing they had shared, and oh, what this? "You wanted more

"Than I could offer- I know that's what did it." Alfred read on a note scratched

On old paper, along with many others- oh, all these notes matched

Arthur's penmanship, it looked like, and when Alfred started to peer

And the notes, he saw that some of the notes were stained with tears.

"I can't believe you!" "How could you do this to me?" "Why can't I forget?"

"You're such an idiot- I don't need you!" "Oh, how much I regret

"Not telling you everything." "God, I wish you weren't so dense."

"I want you back." "I miss you." None of this were making any sense

To Alfred. Had Arthur wrote these? It must of, seeing his handwriting in the blue

Ink of the notes. And then Alfred found it. The note that brought all of Alfred's confusion and thoughts together.

"It's you, dammit. It always has been." "I love you."

"I love you." "I love you." "I love you like no other."

What had Alfred done... he had made such a grave mistake

And why did it have to be Arthur to take

All the blame out on himself, because Alfred now knew...

He picked up the pen from the floor along one of those many notes.

"Don't worry, Arthur. I love you, too."

And with that, he dropped the note on the floor, knowing Arthur could

Find it pretty easily. That is, if he ever returned to that mysterious house hidden in the woods.

* * *

_A/N Thank you for reading! Believe it or not, this idea came to mind when I saw this old house on tumblr,,, and don't worry, dears- Arthur is alright; really, it's up to you to decide what happens to the Brit. Does he find Alfred in like 20 years and punch him for being an idiot? Does Alfred find Arthur and copy the same note and give it to him secretly? Do they decide to live in the house and grow old together? It's up to your little hearts to decide~ _


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